Berkshire County is the western quarter of the state of Massachusetts. Historically, it's been an agricultural county with farmers raising sheep, dairy cattle and tapping trees for maple syrup. For much of the 20th century, most people were employed by General Electric in Pittsfield (the county seat) and Sprague Electric in North Adams. GE has laid off almost all employees and Sprague closed its North Adams facility, effectively killing the industrial base. The county now lives off tourism, small-scale agriculture, academe and the arts.

It's awfully beautiful here. Rachel and I spent the Fourth of July, 2002, driving through all 32 towns in Berkshire County, taking a photo in each. Here are a couple of my favorite shots from that trip.


Alford, MA Town Hall


Old Schoolhouse in New Ashford, MA


"Downtown" Windsor, MA


Steeplecats Game in North Adams, MA

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